Week 5 #osgcookbook challenge

Last week I mentioned that I was slowly approaching the point where the recipes in the Oh She Glows cookbook which I still haven’t made, were left untouched until now for a reason. Either they don’t really tempt me, seem a little too difficult to make, or have a long and expensive ingredient list. I’ve decided that one of my four weekly recipes should be one that I’m a little apprehensive of. This is partly to push myself out of my comfort zone, and partly to avoid a situation where I have nothing but those slightly intimidating recipes left to make at the end of this challenge.

Here is what I made this week:

Crunchy Seed & Oat Flatbread

This week’s ‘scary’ recipe was the Crunchy Seed and Oat Flatbread found in the breakfast section of the book. I had so much fun making this, that I felt really silly for having avoided it for so long. I think I just expected bread-making to be hard. Preconceptions are the worst! The truth is, this bread couldn’t be easier to put together. There is no yeast, and also no proofing, resting, kneading, or any of those other weird steps involved with traditional bread-making. You just stir the ingredients together and put them in a baking dish. So simple, I know! There was something very – (hippy-dippy moment here) – earthy and soulful about making bread from scratch. I felt like I was taking part in a very old tradition, and I was proud of myself for doing it! Maybe it had something to do with conquering a task I thought would be difficult. Anyway, I’m getting awfully philosophical about this whole bread thing so I’ll move on. Oh, by-the-way, it also tastes fantastic!

Soul Soothing African Peanut Stew

Delicious! I loved this soup and so did my in-laws when I brought them a care package of it to enjoy together. I think my father-in-law kind of raised an eyebrow when I first told him there was peanut butter in this dish, but he later called me just to tell me how much he enjoyed it. Now that is the best kind of praise! I decided to include the optional jalapeno and cayenne pepper, and encourage you to do the same. These additions do not make the soup very spicy, they just give it a lovely warming effect that is very comforting on a cold winter day.

Effortless Vegan Overnight Oats

Since I’m trying to bust out 4 new recipes a week, I really don’t repeat anything once I’ve made it once. However, after I first made these oats, my husband and I both fell in love and I have made them over and over again! What can I say – this is so practical to wake up to, all ready to devour after a night of beauty rest in the fridge. The texture is smooth and decadent, refreshingly cool and light, yet super filling. Plus, you can have a new bowl every morning by switching up your toppings. I’ve tried berries, kiwi, coconut, walnuts, granola clusters, and even chocolate chips. I could go on praising this dish, but I think you should just go on and try it yourself 🙂

Homemade Yolos

My first thought when I read this recipe was, “What the heck is a Yolo?” I still don’t really know, but I’ve been told it is some kind of candy. If you say so. So while I can’t comment on how much these guys resemble real-deal Yolos, I can say they are very yummy. I was wondering if the pureed dates and peanut butter that fill these would be very sticky and hard to chew, but they are actually incredibly soft with a melt-in-your-mouth quality. I love the idea of getting a little fancy at a dinner party and serving these with a glass of brandy. Now if only I had a fireplace, I’d feel very sophisticated indeed!